Magnolias and Speyburn
by lespetitesmorts
Summary: Beca and Chloe have been best friends since childhood. Almost twenty years later, Chloe's getting married and Beca's having a hard time dealing with it. Angst warning, but it's also cute. Updates are small, but frequent. They occur during natural breaks in the story instead of via word counts. Recommended listening: "Marry Me" by Thomas Rhett. Also, "Happier" by Ed Sheeran.
1. Chapter 1

" _Becs!" Chloe admonished, slapping Beca lightly on the arm. "It's 'love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous,' not 'lettuce!'"_

 _Beca nodded emphatically and smiled, two teeth missing in the bottom of her mouth. "Right, Chlo, I'm sorry. I don't know why it keeps coming out as 'lettuce,'" Beca blushed at her mistake. She vowed to get it right this time. After all, she was only filling in for Chloe's grandfather who had to work today. She'd lost track of how many times Chloe'd stated that her grandaddy would preach her wedding service._

 _Beca didn't care. She was just glad to be there in an active role. Usually Chloe would have her stand behind or beside her grandfather while he officiated. It never made much sense to Beca, but whenever she'd ask Chloe, the bride-to-be would just smile and say that it was her wedding, and that's where she wanted Beca to stand. So that's where Beca stood._

 _Chloe gestured her head toward the teddy bear, Landon, standing in as Chloe's groom._

 _Grimacing only fractionally, Beca sighed and turned to the stuffed animal. "I'm sorry to you, too, Landon," Beca muttered, feeling ridiculous. Any embarrassment evaporated as soon as Chloe turned to her, clearly pleased, and beamed at Beca in mega-wattage style._

" _Okay," Chloe said happily, tugging the bear towards her again. "Let's take it from the top!"_

 _Chloe marched back to the beginning of the makeshift aisle. The girls had spent their morning decorating their favourite playground to look more matrimonial. Dutifully, Beca took up the bouquet of magnolias again from where Chloe had accidentally dropped them in her excitement to marry Landon. She followed Chloe and put them back into the redhead's arms. Then she sprinted back to her place as the officiant of the wedding and started humming the wedding march._

 _Slowly, Chloe walked toward Beca, and Beca could tell from the way Chloe's mouth crinkled around the edges of her tight-lipped smile that her best friend was using every ounce of willpower that she possessed not to break into a full, toothy grin._

 _In Beca's eyes, Chloe's never looked more beautiful or more perfect than when she was six years old and walking towards Beca with the promise of a loving future spilling out of the stars in her eyes._

 _Beca is six years old and in love with her best friend._


	2. Chapter 2

It's hard to breathe. That's the first thought to cross Beca's mind when she pulls out the embossed card. They've gotten worse at keeping in touch as days go by, but still, whenever Beca's asked in an interview or by a friend about whom her best friend is, Beca still states "Chloe" without pause or stutter.

They talk maybe twice a week now.

When Beca first moved out to L.A., they called everyday, if not twice a day. It was both harder and easier than living with Chloe had been. Harder, of course, because every mundane thing was hard when Chloe wasn't around. But easier, too, because Beca can breathe a little easier without the constant heaviness in her lungs that accompanies the almost unwavering anxiety of keeping a secret from Chloe.

At least, Beca hopes it's still a secret, considering everyone who's heard Beca discuss her best friend seems to know automatically that Beca's in love with Chloe.

Beca hates being transparent.

She plays with the card in her fingers, keys still in the palm of her hand, door still slightly ajar. As soon as Beca saw the fancy calligraphy on the envelope, what felt like a concrete house made its home in her gut. She just... knew. Several years after high school and she still just knew Chloe and could feel her in the air all around her.

It didn't hurt that the envelope smelled like Chloe's preferred perfume: vanilla citrus.

Part of her wanted to rip it up. Rip it up, go into her bedroom, and try to forget that this day had ever come. Another part of her wanted to run. She could feel the energy in her feet already, this buzzing like no matter how fast she ran, she'd never be fast enough. And yet a third part wanted her to just suck it up, accept she'd lost by never giving it a try or telling Chloe how she felt, and do her best to be there for her..

It's what she was supposed to do. If Chloe was still her best friend, and Beca swore up and down to anyone who would listen that she was, then she had to do this.

So she hangs her keys up on the hook by the door, slips out of her shoes, throws her jacket on a chair, and sits down at her desk. Her hesitation is brief, as she reads the card again, before she pulls aside the RSVP card and puts an 'x' through the "Attending" box and a strike through the "Plus One" box.

Her one would already be there.


	3. Chapter 3

_Beca wandered into the diner, craning her neck to find that familiar head of red hair in their corner booth. Even though Chloe went to every game, more often than not managing to drag Beca with her, she still somehow beat Beca to the diner every time. They left together, but Chloe would run the last couple of blocks just to grin happily whenever Beca did arrive at their booth, smiling in triumph._

 _Chloe had already ordered their strawberry milkshake, which they shared, and a plate of fries. Beca wasn't actually a fan of strawberry-flavoured things, but Chloe just got so happy whenever it finally arrived at their table, that Beca couldn't bring herself to ask for a different flavour._

 _In her excitement, Chloe pulled Beca into the booth beside her, keeping hold of Beca's arm even after Beca had awkwardly shuffled her body so she could sit upright._

" _I'm really glad we're friends," Chloe said out of the blue, leaning against Beca's side, still gripping her arm loosely._

 _Beca chuckled awkwardly. "Me too, Beale." She purposefully avoided making eye contact._

" _Hey," Chloe whispered softly. Beca turned her head to look at her friend, retreating slightly when she realized how close her face was to Chloe's._

 _She'd go to her grave swearing that Chloe was leaning in, that her eyes darted down to where Beca's lips were, but Beca would never know if Chloe meant to kiss her._

 _Mary, the owner of the bar, swept by with their milkshake and fries before anything could happen. Beca pulled away gently, using the arm previously held captive by Chloe to swipe a fry through the shake and pop it into her mouth. A second later, Chloe followed suit, and whatever moment they might have had was forgotten._

 _The girls chatted for a few minutes about the game, how their high school team was the actual worst. Chloe gestured wildly, fingers gripping her fries, to emphasis just how much their team sucked. It was fine. Chloe cared more about high school sports than Beca would ever be able to, so she let Chloe ramble. It gave her an excuse to stare and to wonder about all the things they could never be._

 _If Chloe noticed Beca's smiles were hollow that night, she never said a word._


	4. Chapter 4

"No," Beca says again, this time with her arms crossed and her brow furrowed.

"Come on, Becs," Stacie tries. "We're in L.A., we should live a little!"

This part of Stacie's argument, Beca can't counter.

"Besides, what better way to hit the L.A. club scene than with a goal to get laid?" Stacie continues, reiterating an argument they've had three times already since Stacie landed the other day.

That is the portion Beca takes issue with. "I don't want to get laid by some random, Stace."

Stacie rolls her eyes, flipping through the hangers of clothes in Beca's closet. "Look, Becs, I'm sorry. But you know that the best way to get over somebody is to get under someone else."

Almost violently, Beca shakes her head. "No. I do not know that. Not at all."

It takes another couple of seconds, but Stacie turns to face Beca clutching a sexy dark blue button up. "You should wear this."

Beca glares.

Stacie rolls her eyes. "Beca Mitchell, I know where you got this shirt, and you are wearing it tonight while I try to get you laid. You need to move on, girl, Chloe has."

If Stacie thinks that comment would somehow magically persuade Beca that going to a club was a good idea, then she is dead wrong.

"Look, Stace, I don't expect you to understand, okay?" Beca says. "What I do expect, from my _friend_ , is to be listened to. I. Do. Not. Want. To. Get. Laid." Beca says very clearly, a little louder than truly necessary. "I can wear the shirt, we can go to a club, and you can find someone to get down with, but if you try to find someone for me, I'm out. You hear?"

Looking a little apologetic, Stacie nods. Beca takes the shirt from her and turns around to peel off her v-neck tee. She pulls on the blue shirt, buttons it up two shy of the top, and turns around.

Stacie's still looking appreciatively. "Damn, Becs, you've got a nice back."

Beca rolls her eyes. "Okay, weirdo, get changed and we'll go."


	5. Chapter 5

To be fair, Beca's impressed it took almost two hours for Stacie to come up to where Beca was leaning by the bar, a twin on either arm, and try to set Beca up. True to her word, though, Beca politely declined and wished Stacie luck. Then she downed the last of her drink, slipped into her jacket, and left the thumping bass behind.

She walks most of the way home before turning down an alleyway and knocking loudly on a steel grey door. It slides open a moment later.

"Didn't expect to see you tonight," Oscar says, stepping aside to let Beca in. He looks as tough and menacing as he did the first time Beca stumbled upon the speakeasy-style bar.

Beca shrugs and pulls out the embossed card.

"Oh shit," Oscar says, and lets out a little whistle. "Sorry man."

Beca shrugs again. Oscar nudges her over to the bar. "Go and mope for a bit. When Felix switches with me, I'll come make you feel better."

"Thanks, Oz," Beca claps him lightly on the arm and wanders over to her preferred seat at the end of the bar. She drapes her jacket across the back of the empty stool beside her for whenever Oscar is done.

It's a little embarrassing, but she has to do a little hop to get up onto her seat. She somewhat stealthily manages to get up without drawing attention to herself and hooks her feet around the legs of the stool. Again, she pulls the wedding invitation out and lays it down on the bar in front of her.

"Not for yours, I'm assuming?" The blonde woman who appears in front of Beca must be new.

"Nope," Beca agrees, fiddling her fingers on the paper.

"Sucks," the bartender says, grabbing a glass from her left and setting it up on the bar.

Without Beca saying a word, the woman turns for the bottle of Speyburn 15 on the display behind her. Beca watches half in surprise, half in anticipation as a large clear cube of ice is placed in the glass and then a healthy measure of scotch is poured over top.

The glass slides over to Beca off the bartender's fingers.

"I'm Maura," the woman says. "Oscar told me a broody-looking brunette may come in and take the chair you're in now and want nothing but a Speyburn and quiet."

Beca raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I did it about half-right. What can you say, I'm new," Maura shrugs and heads off.

"Thanks," Beca calls after her, just loudly enough for Maura to wave it off as she approaches another patron at the other end of the bar.

The invitation stares at her while she wraps her left hand around the glass, while she glances around the bar to see what the mood is like, while she lifts the glass to her lips, while she takes a sip. Honestly, it's fucking rude. Doesn't it know it's so goddamn rude to stare?

Beca's overcome with the urge to rip it in half, to shut it up, but the millisecond her fingers grasp the cardstock and make the tiniest fraction of a rip, she drops it back down to the bar like it's fire. She pushes it aside, and grabs again for her drink. What she meant to sip is swallowed quickly, the tumbler slipping back onto the coaster in a muted thud.

Like there's a silent alarm, Maura walks back over almost instantaneously, pulls the bottle off the shelf again, and pours another measure into Beca's glass.

"Oz likes you," Maura says, as if that explains her behaviour. It does, in a way. Beca's not as surprised as she should be to learn that Oscar has given Maura instructions about how to handle her. Or maybe there are just special instructions because of the invite. Either way, Beca knows Oz has a soft spot for her. She has one for him, too. It's why she doesn't come in when she knows he's not going to be there. Something about the big guy reassures her, gives her some stability to her thoughts. He's a good guy to have in a crisis, and honestly, one of the only friends she's made since moving here.

"He's a good guy," Beca understates, inclining her head to thank Maura for the drink. Maura shrugs off the thanks.

"He'll be done in ten minutes, and I've been told not to top you off more than twice before he gets here, short and mysterious," Maura says. Only when Beca glances up does she note the playful smirk at the corner of Maura's mouth.

"Got it," Beca says and downs the glass. Again, Maura pours her another, and then she sets the bottle back on the shelf.

"Nine minutes," she reminds Beca as she glides back over to the other side of the bar.

"Nine minutes," Beca repeats, morosely looking into her scotch instead of throwing it back. She shouldn't drink too much. She's been lucky before, when she's gotten too sauced. Oz knows to take her phone away. The first time was a close call. She had Chloe's contact page up, thumb hovering over the call button, when he swooped in and saved her from making yet another mistake.

The tumbler's still in her hands, mostly full, when a hand grazes her shoulder and Oscar drops into the seat beside her.

"From your girl, eh?" he asks, nodding to the card in the corner. Beca doesn't bother responding. It's not a real question anyway. He knows. Beca told him months ago the whole sad sob story, and three weeks ago Beca had been surprised to find engagement photos on her Instagram.

That night she'd gone to the bar and it hadn't been an early or cheap night. She'd finished the open bottle of Speyburn and gotten almost halfway through the next before Oz cut her off. She'd woken up alone in her bed, Oz on the couch clutching her phone to his chest.

"When is it?" Oscar asks, drawing Beca back from her memories.

"A month."

Oscar whistles. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Beca almost smiles. "That's nice of you, Oz, but I'll be okay. I already sent my RSVP anyway." She takes a large gulp of scotch. "Besides, gotta get used to it. Might be easier by myself at least for the first little bit."

Oscar nods sagely beside her. "Okay, Lil Bit," he says and waves Maura over again. Beca downs her drink.

"We got an extra bottle of Spey?" Oscar asks once Maura's in earshot.

"Yeah," Maura nods. "Two under the counter." She jabs her thumb in Beca's direction. "Girl can drink."

Oscar laughs, and after a few seconds of Oscar tapping her on the arm, Beca reluctantly joins him.

"She sure can. And only that stuff. Did I tell you-"

"That we only stock it for her?" Maura rolls her eyes. "You might've mentioned it, Oz."

"Okay," Oz chuckles. "But tonight, I'm drinking it with her, so do us up please and thank you."

Maura obliges, pulling out a glass for Oscar before going off to help someone else.

Oscar turns to Beca, glass in hand. "Okay, Lil Bit, this is your night. Your girl's getting married to someone else, and you're in a bar with me. So we're gonna get you fucking lit and then you're going to sleep it off and get over her, you hear me?"

Beca scoffs. "Like I haven't been trying?"

Oscar waves her off. "That was before. Now that she's getting married, I'm gonna help you get that red-haired beauty off your mind."

Beca shakes her head. "Don't bother, Oz, it's not possible. Just drink with me tonight. I'll deal with Chloe when I need to deal with Chloe."

It's not often that Beca's quiet and accepting of bad news, so instead of fighting her on it, Oscar just acquiesces. "Okay, Lil Bit, let's get lit."


	6. Chapter 6

When Oscar stumbles into Beca's apartment a few hours later with a passed-out Beca in his arms, Stacie's up and on the couch.

"Who're you?" Stacie asks, surveying the situation.

"Oscar. Just bringing her back then I'm out of here," he knows a protective friend when he sees one.

Stacie's glare softens. "How is she?"

Unceremoniously, Oscar drops Beca onto her bed and turns off her phone. He takes the charge cord from beside her bed back out to the living room where Stacie is. "Not great," he admits, and plugs her phone in on the kitchen island. He pulls the invite, now wrinkled, out of his pocket and tosses it onto the coffee table in front of Stacie.

"What happened?" Stacie asks, sitting on the arm of the couch. Oscar sighs.

"Not much. We drank. She didn't really want to talk, and I get that, so we drank more instead. Lil Bit can hold her liquor when she wants to. It took forever to get her to the crying stage, but I think it helped her in the long-run." He chuckles a little sadly. "It usually does. She should be good now for a couple of weeks at least, if history's anything to go by."

Stacie's noticeably blanched. "She cried? In a bar? In public?"

Oscar nods like it's no big deal.

"Fuck," Stacie breathes out.

"Just give her some ibuprofen and water in the morning before her coffee and it'll be fine. Been here before," Oscar explains. "She'll be okay. She'll get over the redhead."

He walks away and closes the door behind him before Stacie can correct him.

"No, she can't," Stacie whispers, and then goes to fetch the meds and water for her friend.


	7. Chapter 7

_She looked gorgeous. It was Beca's first thought when she saw Chloe in the driveway, climbing out of her red Volkswagen Beetle that was packed to the brim with her college possessions._

" _Oh my God, Becs! This is it! We're going off to real life!" Chloe chirped excitedly as Beca approached. Beca didn't get a second to prepare before Chloe's arms wrapped around her in a tight bear hug._

" _Whoa, okay, Chlo," Beca said awkwardly. It was how she always felt when she interacted with Chloe these days. Awkward. Like any second she would do the wrong thing and that would be that. Chloe would know for sure what a weirdo her supposed best friend was. One wrong move and Chloe would know that not only was Beca into girls, but that she was into Chloe._

 _Beca was not okay with Chloe knowing that. So she skillfully extricated herself from the hug after a moment and immediately took a step back._

" _I take it you're excited?" Beca asked, rhetorically. But she said it with a smirk and love to soften the remark._

 _Chloe beamed. "Yeah, oh my God, their med program is amazeballs and I might even be able to start an a cappella group. The only downside is you won't be there," Chloe's smile flipped into a frown._

 _Beca shuffled awkwardly, before lifting a hand to lightly pat Chloe's arm. "It's okay, Chlo, I'll be around. Technology won't let us lose touch," Beca tried to smile. Chloe shrugged off Beca's arm only to wrap her up in a hug again. She sniffled a little, and Beca knew she was crying. So even though it was a terrible idea, like, the worst idea in terms of getting over Chloe, Beca just held on and comforted her best friend._

" _Will we ever be like this again?" Chloe asked into Beca's neck. It took a minute to really think about it and for Beca to decide if Chloe needed honesty or hope at that moment._

" _I don't know, Chlo," Beca murmured, rubbing Chloe's back. "But I hope so."_

 _It's a happy medium, cop-out kind of answer, but that doesn't make it not true. Beca did hope they could be close again, she just hoped that when or if that time came, she'd be able to fit neatly into her box. Chloe didn't need a mess of a friend who couldn't put Chloe's feelings first. Beca had already tried that and, honestly, failed pretty miserably. She begged off of girls' nights where Chloe would want to chat about boys all night, and left any party that Chloe dragged her to before anyone else._

 _Chloe deserved better, and Beca, as she'd already proven over and over again, was not better._

" _It'll be okay, Chlo. This is, well, more college!" Beca tried to muster some fake excitement. "The world is your oyster."_

 _Chloe leaned back so her teary eyes could meet Beca's gaze. She still looked so heartbroken. It took a lot of work to tamp down on any sparkings of hope. Just because she was sad didn't mean Beca had a chance, especially when they were leaving for different parts of the country._

 _So Beca did the only thing she still could — the last thing she should. "And I'm always there on the other end of the phone if you need me, Beale."_

 _Slowly, Chloe started to smile. "You mean that?"_

 _And even though it would probably kick her in the ass in the future, Beca just smiled and nodded. "Of course."_


	8. Chapter 8

It would be easier if Chicago was a dick, Beca decides, as she sips from her flute and leans against the bar. But she watches them make their rounds, arm in arm, and he is all dashing smiles and polite grace, and hell. Beca's a five on the Kinsey scale, but Chicago would be one of the few men she'd get down with. He's just that amazing.

And Chloe deserves someone amazing. Beca has always said that, always believed that, and it just kind of sucks that someone that amazing exists and he did what Beca never could — he asked Chloe Beale on a date.

So she should just be happy for them because clearly, they're perfect for each other, and she shouldn't have this growing bitterness inside of her, seven exact inches below her sternum. She's measured. It appears more often than she'd like to admit.

She should be pulling the sleazy best friend move and try to find a bridesmaid to enjoy for the next two days, but her heart isn't in it. It's always easy to find someone more than willing, especially when they find out who she is at her day job, but it's never satisfying. Ultimately, those kinds of flings just remind her of what she's missing. It's been about three years since she figured that out, much to the dismay of many an up-and-coming star.

Beca glances at the clock, wondering if she can sneak out now without being rude, or even better, seen. She catches Stacie's eye from across the room and slumps when she sees Stacie very pointedly shakes her head.

Whatever. She can last a while longer. They've already gone through the mock ceremony, without Beca thank God, and are now approaching hour two of the rehearsal reception. The dinner aspect went fine, people hit their cues, Beca stayed seated. Wins all around.

Chloe's passed by a couple of times, but always gets dragged away to the next long-lost relative before she can really talk to Beca.

Even though it's disappointing, it's for the best. She puts her empty glass down on the bar. It would be so, so easy to get lost in the bottle tonight. But Beca's done that more than enough, and Stacie told her she could only become a mess on one of the days. Either she gets toasted at the rehearsal or at the actual wedding.

Beca really wanted to say that she'd get loaded at the rehearsal and then be fine during the wedding, but good lord, she was going to need her scotch tomorrow. She'd just make sure to leave the wedding before she got too out of hand. If she ruined Chloe's wedding day, Chloe would never speak to her again, not when she's been planning the event since she was a child.

The little shit part of Beca's brain wonders if that'd be the worst thing. Like, maybe Beca was never able to get over Chloe before because Chloe still wanted to talk to her and be friends. But if Beca fucked that up enough… maybe Beca could finally jump that last hurdle.

Beca turns and asks the bartender to refill her glass. She could feel Stacie's eyes on her as she turned around.

"Jesus!" Beca says loudly, steadying her champagne with one hand and her chest with the other. How Stacie crossed the room in five seconds, tops, will forever remain a mystery.

Stacie didn't seem to care. "I'm watching you, Mitchell. Remember, I'm only taking care of you one night, so if it's tonight, tomorrow you're sober, you understand?"

Beca glares, but nods anyway.

"When can I go?" Beca asks, taking a sip and staring pointedly away from her friend.

Stacie shakes out the watch on her wrist. "Last thirty more minutes and we can go."

"No," Beca says immediately. "Dude, totally stay. The Bellas are here, there are plenty of army guys for sampling, you deserve to be here." She sighs. "I'll be fine. I'll finish this one, final drink, run the clock out, and then head back to the hotel room. No need for a babysitter."

"I'm not going to leave you, Becs," Stacie says, crossing her arms.

Beca rolls her eyes. "Yes, you are, and you're going to have a damn good time." She waves off Stacie's disbelieving stare. "I'm serious. I'm just gonna go back to the room, maybe have a bath, and go to sleep. I'm not looking for any drama. And I'll put earplugs in just in case."

Stacie sighs. "Look, Becs, what if you just–"

"No," Beca shakes her head. "I've said 'no' the last twenty times you've suggested it, I'm not going to stop my streak now."

"But, Becs–"

"No, Stacie," Beca says with her tone of finality. She hardens her stare at Stacie. "You've been great, but I'm not going to fuck up her wedding by telling her, okay? I'm not going to do it. If I was ever going to tell her, I should've done it years ago. Not now, not when she's happy, not when all it would do is make me feel better at the expense of her feeling worse, okay? So keep suggesting it, if you really want to, but it's not going to happen, Legs."

Stacie climbs onto the stool beside Beca. "Okay, Beca. I'm here for you."

Beca's eyes soften. "I know, and I appreciate that."

"You know," Stacie whispers conspiratorially, "all the Bellas were rooting for you, if it helps. Even Aubrey."

Beca snorts. "Sure, Stace."

But Stacie just nods emphatically. "Yeah, we were. We all had bets on how long it would take for you two to get together. Aubrey lost early at two weeks. We all lost and gave back the pool money after Jessica's two years deadline passed."

"Wow."

"You're great, Beca. Even if it's not with Chloe, you deserve to be loved by someone. You deserve to be happy, too."

Ignoring the moisture gathering in her eyes, Beca nods stiffly. "Thanks."

"Which is why," Stacie sighs, "you can leave now. If anyone asks, I'll cover for you."

Beca's out the door in three minutes flat.

So she tries to have a nice night in. She runs a bath using the overly fragrant bubble bath provided by the hotel. When she gets hungry later, she orders a snack from room service and eats it wearing fluffy pajamas and the super soft hotel robe. In the name of taking care of herself, she's in bed by eleven without once being distracted by her mixing equipment looking forlorn in the corner.

She only lightly stirs when she hears Stacie come in around midnight, but chases the tendril of sleep before her brain gets too geared up.


	9. Chapter 9

Beca's hand hovers over her flasks, slowly filling the two shiny vessels with Speyburn. It takes a couple of minutes because the openings on her flasks are not really large enough to accommodate the mouth of the Speyburn bottle.

When she's finished, she slips one into her back pocket of her slacks and one into the inside jacket pocket of her blazer hanging on the back of the hotel desk chair. She gets up from her kneeling position on the ground and shakes out her pants.

Flipping her collar up, she walks over to the full length mirror, picking her black tie off the bed as she goes. She does the top button up on her dress shirt and drapes the tie around her neck.

It's not uncommon for Beca to wear a tie, so as her fingers play with it, knotting it into place, she can zone out and morosely think about what lies ahead for her today.

She can never come back to this town. The thought hits her squarely in the face as she pulls her tie through the final loop. She can't come back here to where she's forced to acknowledge that Chloe's happier now. She straightens the knot, adjusting the dimple in the middle.

And yeah, okay, maybe giving that song to Ed Sheeran was a mistake, but she couldn't perform it herself. She'd break down on stage and her rep would never recover. Her fingers shake a little as she slides her tie clip into place.

Stacie's off getting ready with Aubrey or at a salon or something. Beca wasn't really paying attention. But they'd already agreed that Stacie would pick Beca up from the diner a couple of blocks away. She flicks the thoughts away as she flips her collar back down.

Beca shrugs on her suit jacket, takes a couple of swigs straight from the bottle of scotch, adjusts the flask against her breast, and grabs the gift she'd wrapped a week ago from the bed.

Tucking the gift under her arm, Beca leaves the hotel room and takes the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator at the other end of the hall. There aren't many hotels in town and almost all the wedding guests are staying here. She wants to avoid any possibility of running into someone where she has to be happy for and comment on how cute the happy couple is.

The flights of stairs pass quickly beneath her feet, thanks to a personal trainer Beca had never wanted to hire, who takes cardio even more seriously than Aubrey did. Like, it's nice not to have to wheeze for small things, but is it _really_ worth it?

Beca's still undecided.

Despite her small legs, it doesn't take long to traverse the couple of blocks to the old diner. When she walks in and sits down at the booth she and Chloe used to share, a wry smile is all she can muster.

"Well look who it is!"

Beca turns to see Mary, who's as loud and cheerful as ever.

"You don't call, you don't write. You too famous for us back here now?" Mary asks, hip cocked, but even under the act Beca can see that Mary, for whatever reason, is happy to see her.

"Sorry, Mary. I had to come back to see Chloe get married though," Beca says. Any apology would sound fake because she honestly hadn't thought about this town except for those memories with Chloe.

Mary snorts. "That announcement took us all by surprise," she comments, leaning against the booth.

Beca just raises an eyebrow.

"Well, honey, we all figured she'd end up marrying you!"

It's a hard jab, right to Beca's gut.

"You and me both," she mutters.

Having seemingly realized she may have hit a nerve, Mary backtracks a bit. "So strawberry shake and fries?"

The unasked question hovers between them. _Is Chloe coming?_

Just as Mary's about to walk away, taking Beca's silence as confirmation of the order, Beca says, "Wait. Can you guys still do the chocolate and vanilla swirl shake?"

"You bet we can, Beca," Mary says, and Beca tries to ignore how it sounds softer now.

"Thanks."

Her heart beats quickly in her chest. She's never been to this diner alone, never ordered a milkshake that wasn't strawberry. If this wrenching feeling in her chest is what moving on feels like, Beca hates it.

It would probably be in poor taste to pull out a flask in the middle of the diner, but Beca is sorely tempted nevertheless.

So because the day is gonna hurt anyway, Beca thinks back to high school. She has some of her favourite memories in this diner, from study sessions with Chloe, to after-game munchies with Chloe, to 2 a.m. hangouts with Chloe.

You'd think after eating as many strawberry milkshakes as Beca has in her lifetime, she might actually have grown to like them. Unfortunately for her, it only made her want literally any other flavour.

When Mary drops back with the swirled shake and the fries, it takes Beca a few minutes before she can really eat. It's closing a chapter of her life, the longest chapter of her life. She's no longer allowed to be in love with Chloe Beale.

She swipes a fry through her shake.

Potatoes and salt taste way better with chocolate and vanilla than they do with strawberry.

Beca only barely keeps from crying.

Even the fries are telling her she was never meant to be with Chloe.

She eats them quickly to shut them up, sucking back the best milkshake she's ever had between bites and trying not to read too much into it.

Fucking diner food, ruining her life one calorie at a time.

When Stacie walks in just as Beca's pulling out a tenner to leave behind, Beca views it as the only thing that will go right for her that day. She scrambles to follow Stacie out to the car and drops heavily into the passenger seat.

Stacie looks at her quizzically. "Aren't you going to drive?"

Beca pulls out a flask and takes a sip.


	10. Chapter 10

"This is all wrong," Beca whispers in Stacie's ear as they each add gifts to the growing pile of presents. Beca's is the only one wrapped in a tie-dye shawl.

"I don't think you can say that. It's her wedding. This is what she chose."

Beca shakes her head. "No. Where are the magnolias? The classic wrought-iron arbor? Guests in fun summer colours? She wanted a small wedding. Where's the single cellist?"

The distress in Beca's voice is palpable. "Stace, it's all _wrong_."

Stacie takes Beca's arm and runs a hand over her back. "Relax, Becs, maybe Chloe changed her mind. She definitely chose all of this, she was telling people last night at the rehearsal."

Beca shrugs Stacie off and wanders to the side of the enclosure. She pretends to admire a tree as she sips from her stash of scotch.

When she turns back to face the spectacle, to once again marvel at the incorrectness of it all, Beca's mind is filled with the worst thoughts.

 _I could try to find her._

 _I could get this off of my chest._

 _I could tell her._

 _I could play it off like it could be a joke, just not a funny one._

 _No._

 _I can't mess it up._

Beca wanders back over to Stacie, actively pushing down on the dumbass thoughts flitting through her head.

The ceremony should start any minute. They tried to time it so Beca wouldn't have to spend any more time than strictly necessary watching the love of her life get hitched.

It's fine. Well, it's going okay. Until they are ushered into their seats and the recorded music plays.

Chloe walks in, positively beaming, looking so amazing, so beautiful, so heavenly in her white dress with a purple orchid in her hair.

When Chloe passes the row that Beca's in, Beca smiles as widely as she can, forces her eyes to crinkle at the corners. Chloe grins a little wider, showing more teeth, and does a little finger waggle as a wave before she's moving farther up the aisle. _When did she decide to put a flower in her hair?_

Beca takes a sip of scotch, trying to blur out everything but Chloe's face as the bride stops in front of the podium and lets her dad take his seat in the front row. She takes another when Chloe turns to face her fiancé. Another when Grandpa Beale welcomes them all and thanks everyone for being here to share this milestone with Chloe and Chicago.

She lasts all the way through Grandpa Beale's rendition of 1 Corinthians 13, even though tears collect in the corners of her eyes.

Beca knows what's coming. She watched enough romance movies with Chloe in her teens and double checked the Internet before coming here today. She squeezes Stacie's hand, mouths _I'm sorry_ when Stacie looks at her in concern.

While all the attention is still focused up front, Beca decides it's her time to make a move. Her resolve can only bear so much and she doesn't trust herself to keep quiet when objections are called for. After all, it's not a real question, just a technicality to be included.

"Good luck, Chloe," Beca murmurs. She gets up while Chloe's grandpa is still talking and quietly lets herself out the back entrance, making herself as stealthy as possible.

It's not rocket science to know that she should not in any way be allowed to drive, but she does drop off her empty flask on her way past the car.

God, why did she think coming to this was a good idea?

Oh right. She didn't. Fuck her goddamn awful sense of duty. She should have claimed an unavoidable work event and gotten drunk at home. At least then she wouldn't feel the ridiculous, stupid urge to walk three miles to the other side of town, chasing memories of when she could pretend Chloe was hers.

She takes a swallow.

But of course she's going to do it. Of fucking course. Because the wedding festivities will last at least another couple of hours and if she can't be close to perfect, funny, loving, present Chloe, she'll settle for being drunk in their place and hope past Chloe comes to haunt her.

She knows it's possible. It's happened before, when she's really drunk and really sad, and if that criteria isn't filled today of all days, then Beca's at a loss.

So she walks. She walks and she thinks of Chloe and when it starts to hurt too much in her chest, she tips back her flask.

Even in her current state, it feels like it takes way longer to reach the playground than it should.

With almost half her liquor left, Beca slumps into a swing, toes barely scraping the wood mulch. She sways in the seat, and tucks her drink away. She's nicely buzzed, at least for the moment. Her eyes flit over to the monkey bars and her eyes fill with tears.


	11. Chapter 11

" _Becs, scooch an inch. The bar is digging into my shoulder blade," Chloe said as she squirmed beside Beca. The two laid across the monkey bars, feet hanging off opposite ends, heads side by side in the middle atop a blanket. Beca scooched and Chloe sighed in relief. "Thanks."_

" _Whatever, nerd," Beca said, but the words held no heat. Honestly, this was one of Beca's favourite past-times. She lived for the nights, often in summer, where Chloe would climb the tree outside her house and knock on her bedroom window. Sometimes they'd go straight to the diner, but more often than not, they'd walk to the playground a few blocks away, set up on the monkey bars and gaze up at the stars._

 _She learned the most about Chloe during those nights. Like how she was scared to go to college, how she didn't really want to date anyone at their school, how she thinks about whether she and everyone else are real or if this is heaven or if something like_ The Matrix _is what's going on._

 _How Grandpa Beale's minor stroke had scared the shit out of her. How she didn't want Beca to push aside her dreams just so Chloe wouldn't be lonely at college. Beca didn't point out that Chloe could never be lonely, and she didn't point out that Chloe was her dream. Beca didn't point out a lot of things._

" _I read something the other day," Chloe said._

" _Yeah?"_

" _Yeah. It was about the stars. Well, how we're made of stars."_

" _We're not made of stars."_

" _Becs! It was saying that iron can only form thanks to stars. It's kind of like stardust. Our blood contains iron, hence, we're made of stardust."_

" _Chloe, that's not true."_

 _Chloe turned onto her side, ready to argue. "Yes, it is!"_

 _Beca turned over, too. "Hang on, Chlo, just wait a sec. I have no doubt that you're made of stardust, okay? You couldn't possibly exist if you weren't. I just don't know that it's true of everyone. Maybe some other big space explosion formed the iron in other people, like me, and that's why we don't shine anywhere near as bright as you."_

" _Becs…" Chloe smiled softly. "That's so sweet."_

" _Whatever," Beca said, and rolled onto her back again._

" _Except you're wrong," Chloe settled back with her head beside Beca's. "There's no way you're not made of stars, Becs, because you're going to be one."_


	12. Chapter 12

"Beca Mitchell!" a voice shrieks from her left. Beca pulls the flask away from her mouth and blinks in that direction. A white blur walks toward her.

Her brow furrows and she tries to focus her eyes. "Chloe?"

"Funnily enough," Chloe says as she looks around mockingly, "this doesn't look like my wedding!"

Beca looks around, too. "I guess not."

Chloe stops beside Beca, crosses her arms. "What the hell are you doing here, Becs?"

"What-what are you doing here?" All of a sudden Beca flies into a panic. "Dude! You can't just leave your own wedding!" She looks around, completely missing Stacie in the distance leaning against the car. "How did you get here? Why are you here? Oh my God we have to get you back!"

She tries to scramble to her feet, but stumbles almost immediately. She heads back for the safety of the swing.

"What is going on, Becs? Why are you miles from my wedding, getting sloshed in a park by yourself?" Chloe demands.

"Oh."

Chloe waits.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

Beca shakes her head. "I promised myself I wouldn't tell you and you don't need to know and it'll only make you sad and also maybe things will change for the worse and I really don't want that."

Sighing, Chloe sits on the swing beside Beca. "Does it involve me?"

Beca nods, but looks in the opposite direction.

"If it involves me don't I deserve to know?"

Beca shakes her head. "It's only gonna make things worse. Especially now. So just like go back to your husband and I'll hang out here for a bit and then I'll make my way back there."

Sensing that the direct approach won't work with intoxicated Beca, Chloe shifts tactics. "Why this playground, Becs?"

She shrugs. "It's our playground. I'm saying goodbye to the old us, the old you."

"Why?"

"Because we're different now," Beca nods sagely. "Because you didn't have magnolias at your own wedding." She sighs. "We're just different."

"Oh," Chloe trails off. "You remember that?"

"Of course!" Beca declares loudly. Her voice turns a little snooty, " _I_ would have made sure you got magnolias."

"That's really rude, Beca," Chloe says, exasperation colouring her tone. She sniffles a little. "God, you're such an idiot!"

Beca just nods sadly. "Yeah," she agrees and takes her first sip of scotch since Chloe's arrival.

"No, you don't get to just agree. I can't even get _married_ Becs, I can't even marry this really nice guy who loves me and cares about me!"

Slowly, Beca turns to blink at Chloe.

"God, even now, even when I've basically thrown my entire current life into a dumpster fire…" Chloe cries, "I can't even be mad at you."

"What? No!" Beca launches herself haphazardly off her swing and lands on her knees beside Chloe. "Be mad at me, please. I fucked up. I fucked up so much and so often and you don't even know all of my fuckups but trust me there are a lot. Please be mad at me. Be mad and storm off and be happy." Beca's dissolved into full-on sobs, her voice creeping up more than an octave. "God, all I ever wanted was for you to be happy and he makes you happy!"

"All I ever wanted was you!" Chloe all but shouts back at her. "But I couldn't have that and now I need you to come back with me and sit in your seat so that I can marry a decent guy."

Beca whips her head back like she's been burned. Her eyes narrow and Chloe can almost watch the sobriety filter into her eyes.

"Damn it, did Stacie tell you? Is that why you said that?"

"What are you talking about?"

Beca hops up off the ground and starts pacing agitatedly. "She swore to me she wouldn't fucking tell you."

Chloe rises to her feet, too. "Tell me what?"

Beca snorts. "She totally did. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. I fucking explicitly told her not to tell you."

Chloe steps forward and traps one of Beca's arms in her hand. "Damn it, Beca, tell me what?"

"Well she told you I'm in love with you, didn't she?" Beca growls. "I shouldn't even be surprised. She's the one who's been demanding the whole fucking time for me to tell you. And I told her I wouldn't. Hell, I left my post as your friend at your wedding to make sure I wouldn't tell you and she just fucking tells you!"

"You're what?"

Beca scoffs. "In love with you, as you already know because apparently," Beca raises her voice, "nothing is sacred!" She finally looks at Chloe's face. "Hey, no need to freak out. I'm going to get over it," Beca says. "I mean," she continues, "it's been more than twenty years and I still haven't gotten over you, but I probably just wasn't trying hard enough. Hope's a bit of a dick. Now you're married though and so I definitely have to stop but it's fine."

"You've been in love with me for more than twenty _years_?!"

"Yeah. No worries though. We were friends that whole time and we can still be-"

"YOU ABSOLUTE DUMBASS!"

Beca cocks her head to study a suddenly angry Chloe. "Wait, what have I done now?"

Chloe marches right up to Beca and points her finger at Beca's nose. "I have been in love with you for so long! And you didn't say a damn word!"

"What?"

"Why didn't you say anything?!"

Beca scrambles for a good retort, "Why didn't you?!"

They stop yelling at each other for a moment, and Chloe's finger slowly lowers.


	13. Chapter 13

_Nothing could bring her down today. Everyone she cares about is here, her grandpa is alive and well, and she is finally getting married._

 _Chloe looks into Chicago's eyes and squeezes his hands while her grandpa finishes her favourite Bible verse about love. She's not very religious, but after watching_ A Walk to Remember _at too young an age, the verse had really clicked for her._

 _Her grandpa launches into a personal speech about love and Chloe and it's very sweet, fueling happy tears in her eyes that she works hard to fight. Chicago grins at her and mouths I love you._

 _Chloe almost feels good about her decision._

 _Finally, the time is almost here, they can just about say 'I do,' and Chloe's grandpa calls for objections._

 _Almost as a reflex, Chloe turns toward the crowd gathered behind her and finds a single empty seat beside a brunette with her head turned to the entrance instead of the front._

 _Where is Beca?_

" _Wait," Chloe says, and pulls away from Chicago. She walks back along the aisle to Stacie's row as quickly as she can in her dress._

 _Stacie looks like she'd rather be anywhere else as Chloe stops at the end of her row._

" _Where is she?" Chloe demands, holding part of her modest train in one hand._

" _I don't know."_

 _The answer turns to bricks in Chloe's stomach. "No, she needs to be here!"_

 _By now, Aubrey is at Chloe's side. "What's wrong, Chloe?"_

" _She's not here!" Chloe whispers harshly, trying not to draw more attention to the situation. She doesn't even look to the front to check on Chicago. Her breathing increases to shallow panting._

" _Okay," Aubrey says, her take-charge voice coming out automatically. "I'll go to Chicago, Stacie go get her, and Chloe-"_

" _No," Stacie says, standing up to meet Aubrey's gaze. "I'm not going to bring her back here, Bree." She shifts into a whisper, "It was hard enough getting her here in the first place. She had to go, okay, you and I both know it. Chloe needs to do this without her."_

 _Aubrey stares back, "She can't."_

" _Too bad. I am not going to find her and drag her back here. Even if I knew where she went, I wouldn't do it. So you guys need to get on with it because Chloe's fiancé is looking lost and people are starting to talk."_

" _Okay, Chloe," Aubrey says turning from Stacie. "Let's get you back up there. You don't need her here to marry Chicago-"_

" _Yes, I do!"_

" _Guys-" Stacie tries to warn as Chicago approaches._

" _Hey, Red, what's wrong?" Chicago asks, placing himself in her direct line of sight._

 _Aubrey steps in. "Sorry Chicago, we just need a couple of minutes." She grabs Chloe's arm and looks menacingly at Stacie as she guides Chloe back through the entrance. "We'll be right back!" she calls over her shoulder._

 _She practically pushes Chloe into the bride's dressing area._

" _Chloe, are you sure you still want to do this? You don't have to, I can-"_

" _Yes, Aubrey," Chloe interrupts. "I just. I need her here for this. She's always been in this. I compromised on so much for this wedding, because that's what you do in a relationship, but I never compromised on her being here. She's always been in the plan — she has to be here."_

" _She couldn't stay, Chloe, okay, so either get back out there and marry the love of your life, or stop the wedding," Stacie lays it out for her, no bullshit._

" _Stacie!" Aubrey hisses as Chloe starts to cry._

" _I'm not going to apologize, Bree, and I'm not going to explain myself because I swore to Beca I wouldn't." Stacie crosses her arms. "They're both my friends, Bree, but I'm the only one still in Beca's corner."_

" _Damn it, Stacie, this isn't about the hobbit! Can't she just suck it up for literally five more minutes?" Aubrey spits angrily._

 _Stacie rises to meet her tone, "No! Clearly we just tried that and it didn't work!"_

" _Guys, stop," Chloe says as she dabs tears away from her eyes. She could see Aubrey winding up to go full-on control freak. She turns to Stacie. "So there's something Beca has to tell me? Something so horrible she'd rather leave on my wedding day than be here?"_

 _Visibly, Stacie deflates. "It's not like that, Chloe. But I did promise Beca I wouldn't say anything."_

 _Chloe nods. "Okay," she says easily and both Aubrey and Stacie look at her in concern. "Aubrey go stall for me, please. Stacie, you've got a car right?" She continues right past her rhetorical question, "We'll go find Beca."_

 _When no one moves, Chloe claps, "Let's go!"_

" _Chloe, you can't leave in the middle of your own wedding," Aubrey says._

" _Yes, I can," Chloe counters. "And I am. So either help me or get out of the way, Bree."_

 _Aubrey dashes off back to the crowd. Chloe gathers up her train again and struts off to the parking lot._

 _It takes a few seconds before Stacie darts after her, trying not to hope that maybe this time, Beca won't be left behind._


	14. Chapter 14

"I never knew," Beca says some time later. "I'm sorry."

Chloe laughs hollowly and wipes tears from her eyes. "I thought you had to know; there's no way one person can be so oblivious."

Beca flushes.

"I was wrong."

They sit silently for another minute.

"Everyone knows I love you," Chloe says to her. "Aubrey didn't want me to marry Chicago, but, he was there and he wanted me and he's a nice guy. If I couldn't have you, I wanted to be able to have someone."

"You've always had me, Chlo." Beca states, rubbing at her own eyes which have started to water. "I just didn't think you wanted me. Even when we were six, you'd rather marry a teddy bear than me," Beca tries to laugh, but it comes out more like a choking gasp.

Chloe moves so that she's right in front of Beca's face. She brings her left hand to rest at Beca's neck and cups Beca's cheek. Softly, Chloe presses her lips against Beca's. When she pulls away, Beca can feel Chloe's tears on her own cheek.

When Beca finally raises her eyes to meet Chloe's, they're shimmering. The beginnings of a smile start at the corners of her lips.

"I was always walking toward you, Becs."


	15. Epilogue

_Two years later_

"Didn't think I'd see you back so soon," Mary comments as she comes up to the corner booth where Beca and Chloe are sitting. Chloe is tucked right up against Beca's side, arm dangling into Beca's lap.

Beca fights a blush as she looks up. "Yeah, what can I say, she's persuasive." She leans her head down to gently bonk against Chloe's.

"I was being sarcastic, it's been what, two years?"

"Oh, sorry, I mean, this is one of the smallest gaps between visits, at least for me," Beca answers.

"Maybe so, but I usually see Chloe once or twice a year and ever since you two ran off together after her wedding, you've been keeping her away."

"Sorry, I'm not sorry," Beca says, smiling and turning to look at Chloe, the epitome of heart eyes.

Chloe looks up at Mary beaming, "Can we get–"

"–Strawberry milkshake and fries?" Mary asks, already turning back for the kitchen.

"Can you make it a zebra milkshake instead?" Chloe pipes up, looking at Beca with a knowing smile.

Mary looks back at them, "I can do that." She takes two steps toward the kitchen, then abruptly turns back to them again. "I like this view a lot better than the last time," she comments, mostly towards Beca, and then she finally does head back behind the counter, calling to her cook.

Chloe immediately turns to Beca, "What's she mean?"

Awkwardly, Beca fidgets with one hand in her hoodie pocket until Chloe lays a hand overtop the wiggling lump. "Becs."

"Well, you know, last time I was in this town, you were, you know, getting married, and, um, I came here before the wedding, you know, to have, like, a final goodbye to the Beca and Chloe we used to be or whatever."

Chloe raises her eyebrow. "Did Mary catch you slipping Speyburn into her milkshake?"

"Pfft, no!" Beca says defensively. Then she meets Chloe's eyes a little bit embarrassedly, "I didn't actually do it, I just really, _really_ thought about it."

"You're such a dork," Chloe says, and she kisses Beca on the cheek.

"You didn't get strawberry," Beca comments, pulling her hand out of her hoodie to hold Chloe's under the table.

"Astute observation, Becs," Chloe replies, closing her fingers around Beca's. It's gentle and comfortable, like their entire relationship after their rocky start.

Beca rolls her eyes. "You know what I'm getting at."

"Oscar told me one night at the bar that you don't actually like strawberry milkshakes that much, but that you'd always get them because I wanted them."

"Traitor."

Chloe gently slaps Beca's hand. "Hey, be nice, he's just looking out for you."

 _Beca doesn't head back to L.A. until two weeks after Chloe's wedding. And when she does, she's not alone. Chloe's not moving to L.A., at least, not immediately, but the two aren't quite ready to be apart, she has time off for her honeymoon that didn't happen, and Beca's due back in the studio tomorrow._

" _What's there to do for fun around your place?" Chloe'd asked in the cab from the airport._

" _I don't really go out that much, unless a Bella's visiting," Beca admitted. "I mean, there's a bar I like to go to, but it's not super popular or anything. It's kind of under the radar, I guess."_

" _Let's go! I want to see where you've been spending your time," Chloe said, and Beca didn't even think about saying no._

 _When Beca knocked on the door to the nondescript bar, Chloe looked a little awed when the door slid open mere seconds later._

 _Oscar's face dropped to an almost sadness when he saw Beca, but it almost immediately went back to a passive inspection once he took in Chloe beside her._

" _Hey Oscar," Beca said as he continued scrutinizing the redhead. He pretty openly looked at her left hand._

" _Hey Lil Bit, I take it things went better than expected?" Oscar settled back into his regular bouncer posture. Beca saw his lips and the corners of his eyes turn up in amusement._

" _Yeah, um, so this is Chloe," Beca gestured between them. "Chloe, this is Oscar."_

" _Nice to meet you!" Chloe smiled widely and stuck her hand out. "I'm glad I got to meet one of Beca's L.A. friends!"_

 _Oscar shook Chloe's hand and then stepped aside to let them in._

" _You still going to stop by once your shift is over?" Beca asked, fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. It was a bit more awkward an encounter than she'd expected._

 _Oscar nodded once. "You've got a lot of storytelling to do; I wouldn't miss it."_

 _Beca smiled. "Alright, see you in a bit, Oz."_

" _You too, Lil Bit."_

 _As soon as Chloe thought they're out of earshot, she said, "Why don't I get to call you Lil Bit?"_

 _Beca pulled her along into the bar, heading for a four-top in a back corner that someone clearly just vacated. "Because you're not a mountain of a man who guards the entrance to my bar of choice."_

 _Chloe dropped into the seat beside Beca. A server stopped by their table, introduced himself as Jack, and asked if he can get them anything._

" _Speyburn, double, on an iceberg please," Beca said, only a little stiffly. Behind him, she could make out Maura behind the bar._

" _What do you guys have here? Anything signature or special or just really yummy?" Chloe asked, patting Beca on the knee as she turned a little to better face Jack._

" _We make a mean Old Fashioned, if you're into whiskey. Our pisco sour is made with Macchu Pisco, straight from Peru and distilled only by women. Other than that, we can make you pretty much anything that suits your fancy," Jack said, grinning and tucking his serving tray under one arm. He nodded behind him at the backlit bar holding a variety of bottles. Maura seems to have noticed Beca's there by now and gives a little wave._

 _Chloe thought about it for a moment, glancing over at Beca who half-heartedly put her hand in the air to return Maura's greeting._

" _You know what," Chloe said, "I think I'm going to follow the regular's lead." She smiled up at Jack and gestured toward Beca. "I"ll have what she's having please."_

" _Okay," Jack nodded. "Two double Speyburns, Titanic-style. They'll be right up." And he headed back toward the bar._

" _Who's that?" Chloe asked, following Beca's gaze to the bar._

" _Oh, that's Maura." Beca turned to face Chloe. "She was new here the last time I was in. She was pretty nice, made my drink the right way without me having to explain it," Beca chuckles. "I blame Oscar for that, though, he warned her about my habits."_

" _Well hey there, stranger," Maura greeted as she approached the table. She mockingly inspected Beca. "Now, I would assume you're Beca, but you're not sitting at the end of my bar and drinking Speyburn like you're trying to practice being an oak cask."_

 _Beca kind of shrugged towards Chloe._

" _Oh, I see!" Maura said, eyes alight in amusement. "Well you must be the one who got away, or almost, I should say, considering you're here now," Maura had turned to Chloe, but now she turned back to Beca, "How'd you manage that?"_

 _Just thinking about it made Beca blush. "Um, you know, nothing big."_

 _Chloe rolled her eyes, and gestured Maura to one of the chairs. "This one," Choe jabbed a finger in Beca's direction, "decided that she'd take her Speyburn-drinking show on the road. Left in the middle of my ceremony, so of course I had to go after her."_

 _Maura raised an eyebrow, but Chloe just waved her off. "I'd been in love with her since forever and she was always supposed to be at my wedding — one way or another. She basically confessed her love across town in a park we used to play in as kids."_

" _That seems uncharacteristically romantic of you, Beca," Maura said. Beca flipped her off._

" _Oh no, she's totes mushy, just, only around me," Chloe beamed._

" _Can we stop talking about me now?" Beca asked, grumpily._

 _Maura stood up as Oscar approached the table, "Yes, but only because your partner in crime is here."_

 _They switched places, Oscar sitting where Maura had been, "Bring me whatever they're having, will you?" Oscar asked as he shifted and got comfortable._

 _She flipped him off as she walked back to the bar._

 _Oscar honed right in on Beca. "Alright, Lil Bit, spill the beans. Last I saw you, I was dragging your punk ass back to your place you were so lit."_

 _If Chloe could tell Beca blushed in the rather dim lighting of the bar, she didn't let on._

" _Yeah, so, you know, I went to the wedding and then I dunno man, had to split," she shrugged and Oscar nodded sagely, like he knew exactly what she meant. And maybe he did, Chloe wasn't sure. "Chloe followed or chased me or something and I thought that, you know, Stacie had spilled the beans because she's been bugging me to do it forever, so I guess I kind of confessed, and then yeah, Chloe got a little mad–"_

" _I did not!" Chloe defended. Beca raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Okay, so I was a little surprised and frustrated, but I was_ not _mad."_

 _Beca rolled her eyes. "Anyway, so she was mad, but then she said that she loved me too, blah blah blah, and now we're here and together. So it all worked out."_

 _Oscar turned to Beca. "Maura's definitely told Jack not to bring our drinks, so why don't you go get them? For you girl, of course." He smiled widely, too innocently._

" _Ugh, I don't even work here!" Beca said as she got up with a huff and headed toward the bar._

" _Okay, love of Beca's life, a few things you should know. First and foremost, I don't know if you've been around her when she's in the middle of a record, but she forgets how to be a basic functioning human being, so make sure she eats and drinks water, and doesn't survive on Red Bull alone…"_

 _Chloe listened with rapt attention as Oscar told her all the things Beca never would._

" _And finally, I know it's a thing or whatever between the two of you, but for the love of all that is holy, please don't make her drink strawberry milkshakes anymore. We went to a diner once and that was somehow the only flavour they had left, and she was basically drowning it in tears the entire night, so please."_

"Looking out for me or not, if it was a big deal, I would've told you." Beca says, convincing exactly nobody.

"It never really mattered to me which flavour of shake we got, Becs, I just wanted to share it with you."

Beca blushes as the distant sound of the blender trails off. Mary lumbers back over, a beautifully striped milkshake in one hand, a basket of fries in the other.

"Here you two go," Mary says, placing the items in front of them. "So, what brings you two back to town?"

Chloe grins, "I'm trying again."

"Trying what again?"

Beca turns to Chloe, "Why do you keep saying it like that, Chlo?" Then she turns back to Mary. "We're engaged," she says as Chloe pulls her hand out of Beca's lap to show Mary her new engagement ring.

"Well, congratulations," Mary says, smiling and taking a few seconds to inspect the ring. "Nice work with that one, I thought the other was a bit too flashy for Chloe's style."

"We picked it out together, and because everyone now knows that I want to get married in this town, we're here making plans and booking things," Chloe explains, happily driving two fries through the top of the shake.

"Speaking of," Beca says, adjusting herself on the booth bench. "We were wondering if you'd kind of cater part of it?"

Mary seems a little taken aback. "While that's a lovely thought," she says and hesitates, possibly for the first time in either Beca's or Chloe's recollection, "don't you think your wedding should have something a bit, I don't know, fancier than diner food?"

Chloe smiles up at Mary as she finishes her mouthful of fries and shake. "We're not having this wedding to be fancy, Mary, we're having this wedding to celebrate how much we love each other and, you know, how well we know each other, how long we've circled around each other. We will have some other food, but we both agreed that having you and having your shakes and fries there would be a really great way to celebrate.

"After all," Chloe continues, "there was no other food, no other spot around town, really, where Beca and I spent most of our time together. We want to commemorate that, because this place, the food," Chloe gestures to the food in front of them, "they helped shape who we are and who we are are two dumbasses who finally got their shit together."

Beca can see an extra watery layer in Mary's eyes, and it makes her happy that Mary seems to be touched by Chloe's speech. They did have a wavelength moment when discussing food for the wedding, Beca saying, "So I know it might be untraditional, but I was thinking that Mary and the diner have made such an impact on our lives…"

Chloe had said, "I couldn't agree more Becs."

But now, Mary looks away for a moment, off and up towards the ceiling, and when she turns back, Beca can no longer see the beginnings of tears. "Well we'll have to settle some details, but the diner and I would like nothing more than to help y'all celebrate."

Choe reaches down to squeeze Beca's hand. "Aca-awesome." Beca looks around the diner to make sure no one's watching them before giving Chloe a kiss.

"So romantic, making sure no one can see how in love we are," Chloe rolls her eyes and digs back into the fries.

Beca squirms a little in her seat. "Reflex, you know I feel weird about PDA what with all the paparazzi around L.A."

"Yeah," Chloe shrugs, "but they're not here."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they followed us," Beca grumbles, but kisses Chloe again without looking around first. Then she jumps into the fries and milkshake with vigour, trying to catch up to Chloe.

She's always been trying to catch up with that woman, always loved it, and now, she thinks while looking down at her own engagement ring, now she gets to spend the rest of her life doing the thing she loves. She smiles at how well the fries go with the layered shake.


End file.
